. >> after taxes, if you can make five cents on every dollar you sell, the pennys are important to us. it's amazing. >> reporter: being fast and efficient are one of the secrets to their success. the winning formula begins in tiny towns, underserved communities walmart and target wouldn't give a second look. they garble up cheap real estate, empty buildings other retailers have left behind. then they hire a small work force. each store may have only two people working at a time. there's almost no advertising. no fancy commercials. an in-store circular lists all the deals. and their final secret, a laser-like focus on the customer. >> you design the store around her. >> reporter: in fact, every other word out of president mike bloom's mouth is a single pronoun. >> we needed to get what she needs it. she's out buying what she needs. >> reporter: you keep saying she. who is she? >> 87% of our customers are women. we think about her all the time. customer, customer, customer. >> reporter: she is the noun in just about all of your sentences. >> to me it's dna. you're getting four times as